Press Releases

April 9, 2015

(Washington, DC) - Today, U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) issued the following statement after a Congressional delegation led by members of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee refused to invite a Nevada-based state expert to participate in its recent visit to Yucca Mountain.

“It is evident members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee are saying one thing but doing another on the so-called ‘fact-finding’ trip to Yucca Mountain. Instead, the Committee engineered this visit from the very beginning to serve one distinct, self-serving purpose: that of becoming a disingenuous, political sideshow.

“If this truly was a fact-finding trip, there would be no better resource to accompany this group than a local expert from the state readily available to answer questions and speak to the complications of the Nevada site. It became apparent the organizer of the trip to Yucca had zero desire to invite such a valuable resource to accompany the group. That’s exactly the reason why I sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz to ensure the DOE had no problem including a state-based expert to accompany these members of Congress. As the DOE pointed out, Congressional sponsors set the guest list.”

Heller continued, “I am disappointed this golden opportunity was squandered into nothing more than a poorly disguised gimmick. Nevadans have made their intentions clear, they simply do not want nuclear waste stored at Yucca. No amount of political pomp and circumstance will change that.”

A copy of the letter Heller sent to Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz can be found below.

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